You'll never buy frosting in a can again

Awhile back I made a cake then realized I didn't have any frosting for it--which is a sin in my house. I grabbed my Cake Mix Doctor cookbook and browsed through all the recipes they had and was getting discouraged because I didn't have some of the items needed for most of the recipes. I finally came across this one and had everything I needed. I made it and Neal has now declared that I'm not allowed to use frosting in a can any more because this is so good...lol! It's a basic buttercream frosting except that it's chocolate...yummmm! For Neal's birthday I made a chocolate cake with this frosting. He loved it.

FLUFFY CHOCOLATE FROSTING

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, at room temperature (very important)
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 cups confectioners sugar, sifted, plus additional if needed
1/3 cup whole milk, plus additional if needed
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Place the butter and cocoa powder in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed until the mixture is soft and well combined, 30 seconds. Stop the machine. Place the confectioners sugar, 1/3 cup milk, vanilla, and salt in the bowl, and beat with the mixer on low speed until the frosting lightens and is fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add more milk if the frosting is too thick or confectioners' sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, if the frosting is too thin.

2. Use the frosting to frost the cake or cupcakes of your choice.

****I looked and the basic buttercream recipe has 3/4 cup more confectioners sugar, no cocoa powder or salt. Follow the directions for above. I would think it would make a beige/white frosting.

I really like the Cake Mix Doctor cookbook. I've made several recipes out of it. It's nice to start with the basic cake mix and add to it. Most of the recipes call for adding buttermilk or sour cream which makes the cakes super moist. When my local grocery has cake mixes on sale ($.69 or 2/$1) I stock up. I always have a mix on hand for those last minute cupcakes or cake you need for something. You can also make cookies out of a cake mix. I used to have a basic recipe but don't know what I've done with it. I wonder if Mama still has it?
Anyways, give this recipe a try next time you need chocolate frosting!

Perfect Attendance for the 3rd Quarter and loosing a tooth.

Kinsey had an assembly last Thursday and she received her 3rd Perfect Attendance certificate. Knock on wood, we are going for the full year. She is really loving school and learning so much. It just amazes me when she reads to me. Her class is studying science right now so we have been talking about living and non-living things. We go through our day pointing out these things.

On Sunday morning, Kinsey lost her 3rd tooth. It's been wiggly and pretty much just fell out. She was so excited. The Tooth Fairy brought her $2! We are still waiting for her top teeth to come out. I posted about it being loose around Christmas and it still hasn't come out. I can feel the new tooth coming through but the old one is still hanging on. The new tooth has pushed the old one up against the other front tooth. If if doesn't come out soon, I'm thinking about taking her to the dentist to see if he can get it out.

Happy 42nd Birthday Neal!

I swear, there are more birthday's in mine and Neal's family between the end of February and the beginning of April than any other time of the year. I don't know what those parent's were doing 9 months before but they sure were busy!

Neal turns 42 today! He keeps saying 24...lol! I talked to him on the phone earlier and his boss took him out to lunch at Cattle Baron and bought him a birthday cake. Not knowing this, I bought steaks and potatoes for dinner and am baking a cake. Oh well, I'm sure he'll eat steak for 2 meals in a day. I still haven't bought him a gift. I fished around for ideas, gave him choices and finally told him I was giving him money and he could pick out what he wants. He is the hardest person to buy for sometimes.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HONEY!

More Spring Concert video

Spring Music Concert

Kinsey had her Spring Music Concert tonight. It was so cute! The Kindergarten sang several songs and square danced. They had a Hawaiian theme. I got a few good pictures before my camera died. I will have a few more after I snag a few from other Moms.

Happy 6th Birthday Kinsey!!!

Click on the picture and you can see the titles I included.

Capitan Youth Basketball Jaguars

Kinsey started youth sports this year with our towns basketball program. She's not a big player and mostly hangs back but she does hustle from end to end. I really think she likes the social aspect of it more than anything...lol!

Here's my little Jaguar

My baby's turning 6 this week!

Getting ready for our first kids birthday party

Kinsey turns 6 on March 9th and we will be having our first kids birthday party on the 10th. We've always just had family and a few close friends but since Kinsey is in kindergarten she wants to invite some of her friends. I decided we would not be having this party at our house 1) because my house is small and 2) who knows what the weather will be. I had considered a park but see reason #2. I ended up booking Calamity Jane's Coffee and Eatery party room. Sounds like a weird place to have a kids party but in a village this size we don't have a lot of choices.

Kinsey has invited 10 friends and the theme is My Little Pony. She wants to play pin the tail on the donkey so I adapted it to Pin the Crown on the Pony. We are also going to make bead bracelets or necklaces, break a pony pinata, and if there is time we may play a few more games. I'm going to make a cake and bought this cute My Little Pony set to put on top of the cake. I will probably only use the Pony's but it fits our theme perfectly since we will be having pizza and cake for her party.

After Kinsey's recent comment that she had to many toys we decided that she didn't really need anything else for her birthday. Instead we are asking that each child bring a new book, video, or small donation and we would make a contribution to the local library. Kinsey loves the library so this seemed like a great idea.

Neal and I did tell Kinsey if she would learn to ride her little bicycle without the training wheels we would get her a new bicycle. I bought the new one yesterday and she will get it on her birthday (not at the party).

I'll post pictures of the party when we are done! I will also try to get her Pooh pictures on here. I have taken a picture of Kinsey with the same Pooh since the day she was born. The first year I have monthly pictures and then yearly after that. Here is 9 months old and 5 years old

Thank you so much for your prayers

Neal is doing so much better. He got out of the hospital on Wednesday (2/28). He had laparoscopic surgery so he had lots of little cuts where they put the instruments in. He is still having some pain on the big cut but taking the big bandages off helped that some what. His surgeon said that when he was in there taking out the gall bladder he checked the hernia site and Neal had some adhesions so he cut those and untangled some of his bowel so he may be having some pain from that. Otherwise he is doing much better!
My Grandmother is out of the hospital and moved into the nursing home. My Mom said the move went pretty well. She needs to gain some strength to get better.
Thank you for all your prayers and thoughts! It has meant so much to me to know that I have friends and family out there thinking about us.